The present invention relates generally to systems using program information and, more particularly, to systems, software programs, signals and methods using electronic program guides.
Current systems using program information, including those employing electronic program guides (EPGs), do not contain identifiers specifically designed to differentiate between episodes of a program. When using these systems, for example, to periodically record a series or episodic program, a user must select the daily or weekly time slot of a program and set his system to record that program every time it airs. Sometimes one of these programs"" series or episodes will have previously aired, and the user will have recorded it at that time. If this is the case, it is likely that the user will not want a duplicate recording. With currently available technology, the only way a user can avoid recording the unwanted episode is to bypass the periodic record function and tediously enter the individual air date and time of each program. If a method could be developed that maintained episode identification information and maintained a database that could hold information about previously recorded programs, then a user could employ a periodic record function and not worry about inadvertently recording duplicate programs.
Therefore, what is needed is a system, software program, signal, and method for maintaining episode identification information associated with program information and maintaining a database that can be used to specify programs for possible further action without additional user intervention.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method, in a system using program information, comprising the actions of maintaining episode identification information associated with the program information, and identifying, using the episode identification information, a particular episode and its program information.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a signal embodied in a propagation medium for use in a system using program information that includes at least one instruction capable of maintaining episode identification information associated with the program information. The program of instructions also includes at least one instruction capable of identifying a particular episode and its program information using the episode identification information.
In addition, the present invention provides a system employing program information. The system comprises at least one processor, memory operably associated with the processor, and a program of instructions configured to be executed by the processor and stored in the memory. The program of instructions includes instructions capable of maintaining episode identification information associated with the program information and identifying, using the episode identification information, a particular episode and its program information.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of identifying episodes of series programs and storing at least the episode information in a database that can then be used to specify programs for possible future actions.
An advantage of the present invention is that it allows a user to employ a periodic record function of his system without inadvertently recording a copy of a previously recorded program. This will result in the user not wasting media storage space and avoiding unwanted multiple copies of the same program.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it frees a user from having to research the contents of each episode of a program in order to determine whether he has already recorded that particular episode and then having to selectively program his system for each occurrence of the programs that he wishes to record.
The present invention is also advantageous in providing a record, stored in a database, of previously recorded programs. In this way, a user does not need to rely on either his memory or some sort of manual record to determine which programs have been recorded.